I'm trans and have been living as male for a while, but I haven't yet completed the arduous and expensive process of of updating my legal documents to reflect my name and gender marker. I look male, have a guys name, etc etc.

I'm sure that you've got to use your legal name when applying for schools, but it does seem weird that I'd be applying as GIRLSNAME and F when I haven't used that name in a while and am now M. Or CAN I apply with my current (not legal) name, though they'll get my LSAT with my legal name on there and they won't match?

I'll write a DS about this and everything, but should I reach out to schools and specifically let them know? Also, is this a significant soft if I'm the first trans person in my professional field ever etc etc am very involved in the LGBT community?

1) Given the fact that it's May, I'm guessing this is for this upcoming cycle? If so, any chance you can do the legal name change and all that before you apply? Totally cool if you're not wanting to do that (no judgement), but doing that would help eliminate that issue. Have you already taken the LSAT? That might cause some issues if you've taken the LSAT under one name, and then try to apply with your name. If you haven't taken the LSAT already, then that could eliminate the issue right from the get go.

2) If you're not up for that, I'd probably call the Admissions Offices of the schools you're interested in, and ask them about it. The big concern is basically fraud and misrepresentation because what you put on your application for law school is cross-checked against the information you'll put down for the bar examiners in the state where you choose to sit for the bar.

ETA: as for a "soft," I'm sure it'll help catch the attention of some AdComms, but probably won't give you the same bump that URM does.